Under new ownership, Pincushn’s becomes Studio Seventeen

Tuesday

HOLLAND — Downtown Holland’s only tattoo and piercing shop is going through changes.

On Feb. 19, former Pincushn’s owner Brett Giroux sold the business to longtime employee and piercer Steve Olin.

“I had started looking into opening my own studio,” Olin said. “I was buying a lot of jewelry out of my own pocket and I couldn’t financially do that anymore while working underneath someone.”

But Giroux was ready to sell.

“We had talked about it briefly over the years,” Olin said. “But he wasn’t ready. It’s his baby, and I totally understand. But he finally gave me a number and accepted my counteroffer. It all happened very quickly.”

Now, the business will operate under the name Studio Seventeen.

“I just like it,” Olin said. “It sounds cleaner and more boutique-y than Pincushn’s. It’s a little more inviting and it’s easier to spell. Before, we had constant typos.”

According to Olin, customers should expect the same high-quality service with an expanded inventory.

“There will be more options,” he said. “And more jewelry. We’re planning on bringing on another tattoo artist, so we’ll have three tattoo artists and two piercers. We are the only studio in Holland to have members from the Association of Professional Piercers — and we actually have two.”

Olin, a lifelong Holland resident, has nearly 20 years of experience in piercing.

“I started piercing myself and friends when I was 12 years old,” he said. “I was just really turned onto it. For me, growing up, whenever you saw someone wearing black with piercings, it was assumed they had daddy issues. I wanted to destroy that stereotype.”

Giroux first opened Pincushn’s in 2008. It moved to its current location at 214 College Ave. in March 2012. The storefront had previously been home to the Big Lady Purse Store.

In 2016, Pincushn’s expanded, taking over 212 College Ave. where Full Circle Records was once located. The expansion made room for two additional tattoo booths, bringing the total to four; and one more piercing booth, for a total of two.

Olin is looking forward to serving the community directly.

“I’ve built a pretty good rapport here just by taking care of people,” he said. “Everybody in the studio has been handpicked. It’s important to give them your all. I really don’t stop. We want to offer the cleanest, best service that we can.”